Chapter 8 — The Wolf Attack
Chapter 8 — The Wolf Attack
Translation: Godtl
"What? What did this bastard just say... ugh!"
Lelia jumped up and slammed Kalix's head against a tree with all her might.
"...."
Fortunately, knocking him out succeeded on the first try.
'If I failed, I was going to smash it a few more times... At least that's a relief.'
Lelia sighed of relief.
'But still, can I carry this guy?'
Kalix was a bit taller than kids his age. It wasn't the height that was the problem, his frame itself was very thick and large-boned.
"I don't know, damn... if a beast appears, I'll just give him as food and leave."
Lelia mumbled words she didn't mean as she struggled. She barely managed to get Kalix on her back and succeeded in standing up.
Still, Kalix was a ten-year-old kid. He didn't feel that heavy. Perhaps she had gained some supernatural strength.
Lelia had a thin build, but she wasn't weak. She was sturdy enough to survive while eating dirt and snow when starving.
Besides, before being sent to the temple, the Emperor had at least given her enough food.
"By the way, how do I break through this formation?"
She started walking blindly, but she couldn't think of a way to unravel the path twisted with magic.
Still, she couldn't stop walking. Her every sense became sharp with the fear that a wolf might appear at any time, anywhere.
Lelia walked and walked, listening to the sound of leaves rustling in the wind and bird sounds.
After a while, she heard a rustling sound from far away.
Lelia's spine instantly went cold.
"...!"
Lelia, thinking a wolf had appeared, tightened her arms that were carrying Kalix on her back.
But soon she sighed deeply of relief.
What appeared from between the bushes was not a wolf but Griffith.
"You... what are you?"
Griffith asked with a deeply furrowed expression. In his hand was something like a lantern, and looking closely, it was a lantern filled with fireflies.
It seemed he had found a lantern whose fire had gone out nearby and put them inside.
"...I am the Crown Prince of Auraria."
"...I know your face. But why are you here?"
"Well... ha, it's complicated to explain. Anyway, you might not believe it, but a beast will appear soon. So you should come with me and get out of here quickly too."
"This is a mountain that priests visit every day. There are no beasts like that."
"You'll see when you encounter a wolf later... Anyway, we need to get out quickly."
"...The path is tangled."
"I know. But there must be an exit somewhere."
"I know the way."
"Really?"
Lelia asked, brightening up. Come to think of it...
"You were going back but realized the path was strange, so you made a lantern and came back? Because you were worried about Kalix Ascard?"
"...."
At Lelia's question, Griffith frowned deeply.
'I thought he was a bad guy for leaving alone... In the original work, maybe their paths just crossed differently.'
Lelia smiled while sweating profusely.
"Don't smile like that, it's unpleasant."
"No, you're really a good kid? I misunderstood, sorry."
"...."
Griffith seemed even more offended by the word 'good kid ', but Lelia didn't care.
"What are you doing? Lead the way! Let's go quickly."
"But why is that guy like that?"
"...Oh, that... he, he passed out."
"Hmph. Weak guy. Acting all high and mighty."
Griffith sneered as if he knew that would happen.
'Actually, I knocked him out...'
Lelia answered the truth only in her heart and followed behind Griffith.
That's when it happened. Suddenly, Griffith turned around at tremendous speed.
"Why are you...!"
Before Lelia could even finish asking why, she reflexively turned her body. The tremendous energy she felt from behind in an instant was unmistakable.
"Aaah!"
As soon as she turned her back, Lelia screamed and stepped backward. When she lowered her head, she saw blood flowing where a beast's claw had grazed her lower abdomen.
'When did it appear?'
Grrr....
The wolf that had suddenly appeared before their eyes was watching them, drooling.
After scratching Lelia's stomach, the beast stepped back one pace.
It was contemplating when to charge to tear the throat out in one bite.
"Why is a wolf here...!"
Griffith was greatly flustered. Even if he had seen a demon, he wouldn't have been this surprised.
Even so, he reflexively scanned the surroundings for anything that could be used as a weapon.
Lelia spoke, calming her trembling vocal cords.
"Griffith, p-put the whistle around my neck to my mouth. It's a whistle used by priests."
The purpose was not to call the priests, but to make those who sent this beast retreat...
But right now, it didn't matter either way.
"...."
Griffith, watching the beast watching from afar, slowly reached his hand toward the back of Lelia's neck.
When he lowered his gaze, he saw her clothes tattered from being scratched by the beast's claw. The sight inside must be gruesome.
Yet Lelia stood upright, carrying Kalix on her back without any wavering.
'Is this kid not afraid?'
Moreover, she put strength in both eyes and didn't avoid the wolf's gaze. Rather, as if not wanting to lose the staring contest, she didn't blink at all.
In reality, it was a symptom caused by extreme fear, but in Griffith's eyes, it looked as if Lelia was trying to defeat the beast.
"...."
Griffith very slowly succeeded in placing the whistle in Lelia's mouth.
And just then.
Whistle...!
The moment Lelia blew the whistle with all her might, the wolf that had been drooling charged.
At the same time, Griffith lifted the long branch he had spotted earlier.
Even at the moment the beast charged, Lelia did not dodge or turn her back. Kalix was on her back. She absolutely could not show her back.
"Keng!"
It happened in an instant. Griffith stood in front of Lelia and swung the branch, and at the same time, a white flash shone.
"What..."
Griffith muttered, not understanding the white light coming from his hand.
And Lelia...
"Goodness, we survived! Well done, Griffith!"
Griffith had awakened his divine power.
'In the original work, he was supposed to awaken his divine power just before returning to his home country...'
They say even an ordinary person can use miraculous power when faced with a life-or-death crisis. This must have been that moment for Griffith.
"...!"
However, miracles don't come twice.
The wolf charged again, and Griffith couldn't use the divine power he had just used.
"Aaah!"
"Griffith!"
The charging wolf bit into Griffith's arm, and Griffith screamed and shook his arm.
Just then, light again shot out from Griffith's arm. It was power that activated momentarily.
Grrr....
The wolf let go of Griffith's arm and confronted them again. Between the wolf's teeth, saliva and red blood dripped.
It was Griffith's blood.
"Ugh..."
"Griffith, are you okay?"
Lelia asked, not knowing what to do out of concern.
That's when it happened.
"...Ugh, what just... Ah, my head..."
A low voice resonated from the back of Lelia's neck. Kalix had woken up.
"...Right now, what..."
As soon as he opened his eyes, Kalix blinked in surprise at the situation he saw.
A wolf was growling before his eyes. A real wolf. Not an illusion made of sand.
Moreover...
"Aaah!"
Right now, he was on someone's back. In high probability, this back belonged to Crown Prince Leo.
Kalix momentarily put strength and got off Lelia's back, pushing her away.
One foot was badly twisted, making it hard to put strength, but Kalix stood straight and took out a small dagger from his bosom.
"No!"
It was at the same time. Lelia, pushed to the side, screamed, but what happened in an instant couldn't be stopped.
'I tried so hard to protect him...!'
Can the fate of the original work not be changed?
Lelia squeezed her eyes shut.
Somehow her heart felt like it was boiling with anger. Her own helplessness was pathetic.
It felt stupid to have stepped forward to save Kalix without having any power.
Rather, she would cause Kalix even greater harm. It was all her fault.
'It's all my fault...'
The brief moment when she squeezed her eyes shut felt like a very long time.
In the original work, Kalix loses one entire arm to the wolf on this day.
Nevertheless, Kalix becomes a great warrior who wields a large greatsword with his remaining hand and faces the mad dragon.
Moreover, he plays the biggest role and makes an irreversible sacrifice.
Although he doesn't lose his life, it was a sacrifice that no one could say was fortunate.
That's why Lelia couldn't ignore Kalix.
'At least one arm...'
She thought it would be good if she could save even one arm.
She wanted to return at least one arm to Kalix, who lost everything despite being one of the heroes who saved the world.
But she failed. She was trash who couldn't help at all.
'I should have thought more before acting...'
Tears flowed down from between her guilt-ridden, tightly closed eyes.
But now there was nothing she could do. At the very least, she had to help Kalix so he wouldn't get hurt more.
With a hardened heart, Lelia opened her eyes again.
However, the scene Lelia saw when she opened her eyes again was a little different from what she thought.
"C-Kalix...?"
Kalix was trembling, having thrust the dagger he had been gripping into the wolf's neck.
Both his arms were intact. Just that fact made Lelia feel strength drain from her legs. A shiver ran through her whole body.
The wolf, which had been convulsing for a while, soon took its last breath.